The Revolutionary Guard was created to help defend the revolution, but it soon was diverted from its initial path. Akbar Ganji More Quotes by Akbar Ganji More Quotes From Akbar Ganji It was universal pressure on the regime to secure my release. International pressure was certainly helpful in my release. Akbar Ganji release helpful pressure The regime kept saying that all of my opponents are lackeys of the United States. We used to say that this is all lie, that we are lackeys of the United States. Akbar Ganji opponents united-states lying Let me begin by saying not only you can't have democracy with $75 million. You can't even have it with $750 billion. Akbar Ganji billions let-me democracy When I say that I am opposed to this budget, everyone says, "Well, what do you think the United States should do?" My response is, "Why should the United States do anything?" Akbar Ganji united-states should thinking There's all kind of evidence that there is enormous corruption in the distribution of that money. For example, they gave about $100 to $150 dollars to each of the teachers. They gave about $500 dollars to those who were getting married. Through this process, they obviously collected a lot of votes, but these monies could not solve the structural problems that these people face. But the only result, the only consequence, was that a big sum from the budget was wasted this way. Akbar Ganji faces teacher people Today, as a result of a miraculous set of circumstances, Iran is going to get between $50 to $55 billion in oil revenue, which is unheard of in the history of the revolution. Akbar Ganji iran oil today When I was on my hunger strike, and I was in a hospital, the guards who inflicted all manner of injustice against me, and all manner of hardship...I could witness that as a result of Ahmadinejad, they lived in a dream. They believed that paradise is around the corner and that all their demands shall be met. Akbar Ganji hunger-strike paradise dream If you look at the discourse before the revolution, whether it is the left communist, whether it is the right secularist...the entirety of this discourse was such that it encouraged the kind of ascendancy for a man like Ayatollah Khomeini. Akbar Ganji revolution men looks I did join the Revolutionary Guard, but I was simply a simple Revolutionary Guard, never a commander. Akbar Ganji commanders revolutionary simple I went to the front, but I never participated in the war itself. Akbar Ganji fronts war [In] every revolution, there is a great divergence between what the revolutionaries expect and what the revolution actually accomplishes. Akbar Ganji accomplish revolution revolutionary It began early in the revolution. It was a process that was unfolding on a daily basis. We expected the system to be dispensing justice, but every day that passed by, we recognized that the justice we expected and hoped for was not about to be achieved. Akbar Ganji revolution process justice The number of the opposition has certainly increased [in Iran]. There is more disgruntlement, but because there is no media, the voice of this opposition is not heard outside Iran. Akbar Ganji iran media voice There is no possibility of a public demonstration [in Iran] of such defiance, but these defiant acts are certainly going on. Akbar Ganji demonstration possibility iran The Shah's regime was an incorrigible regime and after a while, when the revolution happened, the situation began to change, revolutionary conditions was created...we simply wanted to change the regime. Akbar Ganji situation revolution regimes Khomeini obviously had many problems, but he had one clever side to him. He never made economic promises to people and as a result, he never led to dissatisfaction in this perspective. Because they need to get votes, they use misleading slogans. And this leads to rising expectations. I had a personal experience. Akbar Ganji perspective expectations clever There are varieties of theories of revolution. According to one of these theories, only one of these theories, revolutions occur when there is an explosion of rising expectation. And amongst the lower strata in Iranian society, we are witnessing an increasing rise of the expectation and it's clear that the regime is incapable of satisfying these demands. Akbar Ganji rising revolution expectations The solutions to the problems of the distraught lower strata of society are problems that can only be solved in the context of an overall political, cultural, economic development. Akbar Ganji political development problem The difference between us and the other side is that they use populist and...kind of slogans that are...they fool the people. They are the kind of dishonest and populist slogans that we are not willing to use. Akbar Ganji fool differences people We can certainly be on the same side and the same front with the workers and with the oppressed people of Iran. We can certainly be on the same front with them. Akbar Ganji iran sides people
